1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to trap shooting. More particularly, the invention relates to a target pigeon suitable to simulate the flight of a living bird during shooting events. Still more particularly, the invention relates to an improved target pigeon capable of being recovered and re-used.
2. The Prior Art
In trap or target-pigeon shooting a target pigeon is launched into the air to simulate a bird being flushed from cover, and the shooter, usually armed with a shotgun, fires at this target to improve his abilities for actual wing shooting. In order to maximize the effectiveness of such a practice, it is necessary that the trap or target pigeon be launched into the air in a manner closely resembling a bird on the wing. Furthermore, there are many different behavior patterns in game birds, and it is therefore necessary that the pigeons be capable of duplicating various random flight patterns.
In my above identified patent applications, I have disclosed a target pigeon of the type to which this invention is related, which comprises a cap and a propeller-hub in form of a ring. This pigeon is at least in part made of frangible material so as to break when hit by shot with a resultant operation of the cap from the hub, so as to clearly show that the target was in fact reached by the shots of a shooter. This breakage, and the consequent separation of hub and cap result in the falling down of the target portions in a way which closely resembles the behavior of a live bird that has been hit.
The target pigeons of my prior applications are provided with a multi-stepped cap; the purpose of the steps being mainly to provide weakened zones to expedite breaking-apart of the cap when a shot impinges thereon, and also to provide stabilizing means for a steady flight of the assembly (i.e. target pigeon). There were also provided snap portions at the lugs connecting the cap with the hub, in order to produce disengagement of these (and consequently the separation of cap and hub) even in the case of an impact which is per se not strong enough to produce the desired break-up, so as to obtain an assured separation of the cap from the hub under all circumstances.
The circular wall of the hub was given a substantial height, in order to increase the surface area over which the pigeon would receive a direct shot impact, with the purpose of either attaining the breakage of the ring or to transfer the impact force to the snap portions of the legs so as to dislodge these from the corresponding slots of the ring to obtain separation of the cap from the hub.
Of course, the pigeons according to my prior proposals were always destroyed when the shooter was "on target". This meant replacement costs for new pigeons and it could happed that, due to a miscalculation of demand for a particular shooting event, the stock of pigeons was used up prematurely, thus brining the shooting event to an early end.
In the meanwhile I have discovered that the pigeons can be made re-usable, by making both the hub ring and the cap from non-frangible, high-impact materials, and interposing a tie means between the cap and the hub, in order to avoid the complete separation of the two pieces when they become disengaged one from another upon being impacted by shot. When such a pigeon is hit the even flight of the pigeon is changed into a fluttering falldown, closely resembling that of a drying bird, and indicating that the target was hit by the shooter. Of course, certain changes were necessary in the structure of both pieces, so as to counteract the more rigid structure of the connecting elements, maintain the snap-action thereof, and to make both pieces strong enough to resist the shot impact, as well as the knock-down shock on earth, without sustaining substantial damage. A target pigeon according to the present invention can be re-used several times, with consequent savings in material costs, manufacturing operations, time and labor, all of which results in a lesser price-per-shoot for the sportsman. Furthermore, the possibility that the pigeon stock might run out during a shoot is sharply diminished.